Looking to repair/replace trim boards - is rough-sawn cedar the right choice here?
These trim boards (skirt boards? apron boards? - they are fastened on the front of the ledger?) need to be repaired; the previous owner did not maintain (i.e., paint properly, keep downspouts clear, gutters in good repair, etc...) so they have rotted, particularly at the corners/ends. Long stretches -- the bulk of them -- are in great shape. But the last ~foot or so near most corners looks like that shown in the photos and thus require replacement.
The existing boards (what is left of them) measure 1-3/4" x 9-3/4". They have a rough-cut texture (see photos where you can see the visible grain through the paint). They do not appear to be any variant of S4S lumber. I had contemplated replacing them with treated lumber to prevent a similar outcome later, but treated 2x10" is all actually 1.5"x9-1/4" - too small for this application.
So my current plan is to cut out the affected sections, replace them with rough-cut cedar of the correct dimension, and (after ensuring the cedar is fully dry), caulk the joints and paint white to match existing trim.
My questions:
- Is my best approach to indeed use rough-sawn cedar (which I found locally and indeed measures ~1-3/4" x 9-3/4") and then caulk/paint the surfaces and seams?
- Also, if repairing these corners (rather than replacing every one of these trim boards), what is the best approach to patching/transitioning the new to the existing - a simple butt joint from new to old along the run, or something else?
- Any other considerations I appear to be neglecting?
h
Posted Jan 7, 2026, 3:03 PM UTC